How Digital-First Studios Are Rewriting the Rules | Live from TellyCast Digital Content Forum 2025
Factual isn’t standing still - and this panel proves it. Recorded live at the TellyCast Digital Content Forum, this conversation digs into how the factual genre is being rebuilt for a digital-first world. Lucy Smith hosts a sharp, unsentimental discussion with Gerrit Kemming (Quintus Studios), Marvyn Benoit (Baker’s Dozen Studios) and Jamie McDonald (After Party Studios) about who really owns value in today’s market: the audience-holders or the IP-holders.They unpack how social video has reshaped commissioning logic, why audience ownership is now the most powerful currency in factual, and how creators are becoming new-age broadcasters. The panel gets into hybrid funding models, co-ownership of IP, rapid-cycle development, YouTube economics, CPM realities, danger-led factual, testing formats on social platforms, and the rise of patchwork financing. This is a clear-eyed look at the future: faster turnarounds, collaborative models, creator-talent partnerships, and a factual economy where anyone with audience can commission.If you want to understand where factual formats are heading - and how digital-first production companies are finding new routes to money, scale and global reach - this session is required listening.Sign up for The Drop newsletter Support the showSubscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videosFollow us on LinkedInConnect with Justin on LinkedINTellyCast videos on YouTubeTellyCast websiteTellyCast instaTellyCast TwitterTellyCast TikTok
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Micro Drama: Fad or the Future? | Live from TellyCast Digital Content Forum 2025
Vertical video drama has exploded in the past year – but is it a passing craze or the next big shift in storytelling? Recorded live at the TellyCast Digital Content Forum, this session brings together Spirit Studios’ Matt Campion, TheSoul Group’s Victor Potrel and writer-director-producer Katharina Gellein Viken to unpack the boom in micro drama. Moderated by Deadline’s Stewart Clarke, the panel digs into what audiences are actually watching, how shows are being funded and distributed, the role of AI in production, the emergence of new platforms, and why the economics are creating a brand-new content category. A sharp, forward-looking conversation on how vertical drama is being made, monetised and scaled.Sign up for The Drop newsletter Support the showSubscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videosFollow us on LinkedInConnect with Justin on LinkedINTellyCast videos on YouTubeTellyCast websiteTellyCast instaTellyCast TwitterTellyCast TikTok
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Colin Furze, Dose of Society & Eline van der Velden at Web Summit 2025
This week’s TellyCast comes from Lisbon and the 2025 Web Summit, featuring three standout conversations from the frontline of social video. Engineering superstar and YouTube icon Colin Furze joins the show fresh from his packed session to discuss two decades of building one of the world’s biggest creator channels, the near-mythical underground tunnel project, his relationship with TV, and how he keeps millions of viewers hooked. Ahmed Fayed from Dose of Society shares the journey behind the fast-growing social video brand, how they built a global audience from London street interviews, and why authentic storytelling now travels everywhere from the Emirates to Africa. Justin also catches up with Eline van der Velden from Particle6 after the global reaction to the launch of her AI actress — covering the backlash, the outcomes, and what comes next for creators building with AI. A Web Summit special packed with insight on the future of content, creators and social video.Sign up for The Drop newsletter Support the showSubscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videosFollow us on LinkedInConnect with Justin on LinkedINTellyCast videos on YouTubeTellyCast websiteTellyCast instaTellyCast TwitterTellyCast TikTok
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Thom Gulseven on Strong Watch, Channel 4 and the Future of Social Video
Strong Watch Studios co-founder Thom Gulseven joins the show to talk about building one of the UK’s most exciting digital-first production companies. He reveals how lessons learned at LADbible shaped the launch of Strong Watch with Ben Powell-Jones, how their channel People Are Deep became an award-winning social video hit, and why Channel 4 trusted them to run its new comedy channel A Comedy Thing. Thom also shares his take on the next phase of the creator economy, the rise of streamer-led digital content, and how traditional media can adapt to the social video revolution.Sign up for The Drop newsletter Support the showSubscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videosFollow us on LinkedInConnect with Justin on LinkedINTellyCast videos on YouTubeTellyCast websiteTellyCast instaTellyCast TwitterTellyCast TikTok
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TellyCast at MIPCOM (Part 3) - Warren Brown, Joe Churchill, Luci Sanan, Robbie Lyle & more
In the final TellyCast MIPCOM special from Cannes, we hear from the people shaping the digital-first future of TV. Fan Club’s Joe Churchill talks about brands becoming broadcasters and his upcoming session at the TellyCast Digital Content Forum. Luci Sanan from Cowshed Ventures reveals her new YouTube adventure joint venture with Propagate Content. EndemolShine Nederland’s Sil Geurtsen explains how hit format Let’s Play Ball made the leap from YouTube to TV, and Arsenal Fan TV’s Robbie Lyle shares how he built a global fan-led media empire.Sign up for The Drop newsletter Support the showSubscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videosFollow us on LinkedInConnect with Justin on LinkedINTellyCast videos on YouTubeTellyCast websiteTellyCast instaTellyCast TwitterTellyCast TikTok
A weekly podcast featuring opinionated international content industry business leaders joining Justin Crosby to discuss the week's top industry news stories. In each episode we discuss key business developments around the world and look forward to the big moments in the week ahead. New episode every Thursday.
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